Homemade Italian Cookies

Homemade Italian CookiesAnyone who loves to bake should try making some Italian cookies for holidays like Valentine’s Day, Easter, and Christmas. Italian cookies are great to make anytime for home or take to the office or a potluck.  Italian cookies are great for a treat after an Italian meal or for a sweet snack with a cup of espresso.  Two popular Italian cookie recipes are Almond Biscotti and Italian Butter Cookies.

Almond Biscotti

This is a truly Italian cookie that is often enjoyed with a cup of espresso.  You can either enjoy these yourself or make them as a gift for any occasion.

3/4 cup of butter

1 cup of sugar

3 eggs

3 cups of flour

2 teaspoons of vanilla extract

1 teaspoon of anise extract

1 tablespoon of anise seed

3 3/4 teaspoons of baking powder

1-cup almonds or walnuts (chopped)

1-ounce rum or brandy

Begin by softening (not melting) your butter either in a microwave or in a small saucepan over low heat.  Pour this into a mixing bowl and add the sugar before beating it for 30 seconds on low, then on medium for another two or three minutes.  At this time the butter should begin to cream.  Now add in your eggs, vanilla, and anise extract and beat for 30 seconds.  In a different bowl you will want to combine your flour with your baking powder, chopped nuts, and anise seeds.  Add this to your cream mixture.  Stir it by hand until your dough becomes stiff and then place your dough on a floured surface and knead it until it becomes smooth.  If your dough is sticky, you will need to add a small amount of flour to it, and knead some more.  Once you have thoroughly kneaded your dough, divide it into two or three pieces and then form it into some long, thin rolls.  Allow this to cool before cutting it diagonally into half slices.  Put these back into the oven and bake them for an additional 10 to 15 minutes or until they are toasted.

Italian Butter Cookies

These Italian cookies are a great sweet dessert or for a snack.  They also make wonderful gifts. They can be topped with glazed cherries and sprinkled with some decorative sugar.

1 pound of butter (softened)

1 cup of powdered sugar

1 cup of walnuts (finely chopped)

3.5 cups of flour (sifted)

1-teaspoon vanilla extract

Powdered sugar

In order to make these Italian cookies you will need to first soften (not melt) your butter and then pour it into a mixing bowl.  Add one cup of powdered sugar and your vanilla to this bowl and beat the mixture for 30 seconds on low, then an additional two or three minutes on medium so that the butter will cream.  Now you can stir in your walnuts.  Add in small amounts of flour as you continue to mix this thoroughly so that the dough will become stiff.  You will want to spoon small portions of this dough out and then roll it into balls and press them with the bottom of a glass.  Bake these cookies on an ungreased cookie sheet at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes.  Once you take them out of the oven, it is time to sprinkle them with powdered sugar.

These delicious cookies not only taste great with coffee, they can also be enjoyed with hot cocoa (especially hot chocolate made with Italian chocolate), tea, or milk. Homemade Italian cookies make a great addition to any gift basket.

When going out to eat at an Italian restaurant, like Mama Jennie’s Italian Restaurant and Catering, most people are too full after finishing their meal to enjoy a desert. It is a treat to enjoy homemade Italian cookies at home after a delicious dinner out at an Italian restaurant.

Share and Enjoy:
  • Print this article!
  • Digg
  • Sphinn
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • Mixx
  • Google Bookmarks
  • Turn this article into a PDF!
  • Technorati
  • Twitter
Professional Catering on Any Budget

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,